MINNEAPOLIS — Celtics forward Jaylen Brown, who has been sidelined since suffering a bruised tailbone on Nov. 23, was well into a detailed pregame workout Saturday to see if he could play against the Timberwolves when his session was cut short due to back spasms and tightness.

Brown was then ruled out for the game, his third absence in a row. Brown said that prior to the back issues, his workout was “good.’’

“The tightness started to increase as I started to push it,’’ he said before the Celtics’ 118-109 victory. “I was doing full sprints, I was doing back pedals, karaoke [exercises], anything I would normally do, defensive slides and stuff just to push it, and my back started tightening up. So I ended up cutting it a little bit short. But I still went through my shooting, and stuff like that.’’

Brown said that team’s training staff told him it would not be smart to force it, so he relented. Brown suffered the tailbone injury when he took a hard fall during the Celtics’ loss in Dallas.

The good news, Brown said, is that his tailbone actually feels a lot better. He is hopeful that with four full days off until the Celtics face the Knicks on Thursday, he will be able to return by then.

“Extra rest can help my body,’’ Brown said. “The team’s playing well so when I come back and return I expect to help add to whatever we’ve got going on.’’

Marcus Smart started his third game in a row in place of Brown. Al Horford, who missed Friday’s game against the Cavaliers to rest, returned to the starting lineup on Saturday in place of Aron Baynes.

Dozier stays home

Celtics two-way contract player P.J. Dozier was called up from the Maine Red Claws on Friday and scored 7 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in just five minutes in his NBA debut against the Cavaliers. But since Horford was activated, Dozier did not make the trip to Minnesota.

“We were fortunate enough to be in the situation where we could play our whole bench last night,’’ said coach Brad Stevens. “And if we had to go into that position last night, we didn’t have enough guards. With Jaylen out, with Al sitting out, it made sense to bring him. If we would have had anybody else out tonight, we would have flown him here with us. I just think the more nights you have 13 available bodies the better, and obviously I think he did a good job when he got in there.

A familiar duo

When Jimmy Butler was traded from the Timberwolves to the 76ers last month, it reshaped part of the Eastern Conference race. But it came at a cost for Philadelphia, too, as the 76ers sent starters Robert Covington and Dario Saric to Minnesota.

Entering Saturday, Covington was averaging 14.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game and Saric was chipping in with 10.6 points and 6 rebounds. Covington had 17 points against the Celtics Saturday and Saric added 7 points.

Stevens, of course, is quite familiar with the two, particularly after Boston faced Philadelphia in last season’s conference semifinals.

“Those two guys add what they add,’’ Stevens said. “They’re winners, they’re tough, they both guard, they both make winning plays, they both can shoot, they had a huge impact when they were in Philly, and they’re having a huge impact here.’’

Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @adamhimmelsbach.